15 Popular September 2023 Games: The Video Gamer’s Guide

September 2023 marked an extraordinary month for gamers worldwide, delivering some of the most anticipated titles of the year. Whether you’re a fan of expansive RPGs, heart-pounding shooters or classic fighting games, this autumn month offered something special for everyone. Join me as we explore 15 popular September 2023 games and examine what made each title worthy of your attention and gaming library.

Starfield: Bethesda’s Ambitious Space Odyssey

Bethesda Game Studios’ first new IP in 25 years launched on 6th September, bringing players an unprecedented galactic adventure. Starfield invites gamers to explore over 1,000 planets across numerous star systems in a narrative-driven experience that combines the studio’s renowned storytelling with exciting new gameplay mechanics.

The game’s success was immediate, with Bethesda Game Studios’ first new IP quickly becoming one of the most played titles on Xbox Game Pass upon release. Players are particularly drawn to the deep character customisation options and the freedom to forge their own path among the stars.

Starfield’s ship-building feature allows players to design and customise their own spacecraft, which serves as both transportation and a mobile base of operations. Bethesda Game Studios’ first new IP demonstrates the developer’s commitment to creating immersive, player-directed experiences in new settings beyond their established franchises.

Mortal Kombat 1: A Bloody New Beginning

Released on 19th September 2023, NetherRealm Studios’ reimagined fighting game brings a new take on the iconic franchise. Despite the numeral in its title, Mortal Kombat 1 represents a complete reboot of the series’ timeline, offering both long-time fans and newcomers a perfect entry point.

The game introduces the innovative Kameo fighter system, allowing players to call upon a secondary character for assistance during battles. This adds unprecedented depth to the already complex fighting mechanics that have defined the series since its inception.

NetherRealm Studios’ reimagined fighting game received strong critical acclaim, earning a Metacritic score of 83 based on 85 critic reviews. The game’s story mode was particularly praised for its cinematic quality and reimagining of classic characters in surprising new roles.

The Kameo fighter system provides players with strategic options that extend beyond the traditional one-on-one fighting format, creating more dynamic and unpredictable matches. Whether playing through the campaign or competing online, Mortal Kombat 1 offers a bloody good time for fighting game enthusiasts.

Payday 3: The Heist Continues

Starbreeze Studios released the long-awaited sequel to the popular co-op heist shooter on 21st September. Payday 3 brings back the thrill of planning and executing elaborate robberies with friends, now with enhanced graphics, expanded gameplay options and more sophisticated stealth mechanics.

Set in a reimagined New York City, the sequel to the popular co-op heist shooter offers players the chance to step back into the shoes of the infamous Payday Gang. The game maintains the series’ signature mix of stealth and all-out action, with each approach offering its own challenges and rewards.

Unfortunately, Payday 3 faced significant server issues upon launch, making the game almost unplayable for many during its initial days. These technical difficulties somewhat dampened the excitement surrounding what was otherwise a highly anticipated release in the co-op shooter genre.

Despite these early setbacks, the sequel to the popular co-op heist shooter still managed to attract over 1.3 million players at launch, demonstrating the enduring appeal of the franchise’s premise and gameplay formula.

Lies of P: A Soulslike with a Twist

One of September’s most surprising hits was Neowiz Games’ dark reimagining of Pinocchio, released on the 19th. Lies of P combines challenging Soulslike combat with an intriguing narrative inspired by Carlo Collodi’s classic tale, set in a haunting Belle Époque world.

Neowiz Games’ dark reimagining of Pinocchio impressed players with its intricate level design, punishing but fair combat and unique “lie” system that affects how the story unfolds. The game’s distinct visual style, blending Victorian aesthetics with mechanical horrors, creates an unforgettable atmosphere.

The game’s success was particularly notable as it was available on Xbox Game Pass from day one, allowing subscribers to experience this challenging adventure without additional purchase. This accessibility helped Lies of P reach a wider audience than might typically engage with the Soulslike genre.

For players seeking a demanding action RPG experience, Neowiz Games’ dark reimagining of Pinocchio offers precisely the kind of deliberate combat and mysterious worldbuilding that fans of FromSoftware titles crave.

Party Animals: Chaotic Multiplayer Fun

Launching on the 20th of the month, Recreate Games’ physics-based party game quickly became a multiplayer favourite and one of the most popular September 2023 games. Party Animals puts players in control of adorable creatures competing in various minigames and challenges, where the unpredictable physics engine creates moments of hilarity and unexpected outcomes.

The game’s charming visual style belies the competitive nature of its gameplay, as players grapple, punch and throw each other across various hazard-filled environments. Recreate Games’ physics-based party game emphasises fun over precision, making it accessible to players of all skill levels.

Available on Xbox Game Pass upon release, the game quickly built a substantial player base and became a popular choice for streamers looking to create entertaining content. The simple premise combined with chaotic execution proved to be a winning formula for social gaming sessions.

Party Animals offers multiple game modes, from team-based competitions to every-player-for-themselves free-for-alls, ensuring that Recreate Games’ physics-based party game maintains its appeal across numerous play sessions with friends.

Cocoon: A Puzzle Masterpiece

Released on 29th September 2023, Geometric Interactive’s debut puzzle adventure came from the mind of Jeppe Carlsen, lead gameplay designer of Limbo and Inside. Cocoon features an innovative world-within-world mechanic where players carry and jump between different reality spheres to solve increasingly complex puzzles.

The game’s minimalist approach to storytelling allows the ingenious puzzle design to shine, creating “aha” moments as players discover new applications for the world-shifting mechanics. Geometric Interactive’s debut puzzle adventure gradually introduces new concepts without explicit tutorials, respecting player intelligence.

Cocoon’s visual style combines organic and mechanical elements into a cohesive aesthetic that supports its otherworldly premise. The game’s alien environments feel both strange and logical, creating a consistent universe for players to explore and manipulate.

For puzzle enthusiasts, Geometric Interactive’s debut puzzle adventure offers a fresh approach to the genre, with challenges that require spatial thinking and creative applications of its unique game mechanics.

The Crew Motorfest: Racing in Paradise

Ubisoft’s open-world racing festival launched on 14th September 2023, taking players to a vibrant recreation of O’ahu, Hawaii. The Crew Motorfest represents an evolution of the series, focusing on a concentrated island setting filled with diverse racing opportunities rather than spanning an entire country.

The game features over 600 vehicles across numerous categories, from street racers and hypercars to off-road trucks and motorcycles. Open-world racing festival players can seamlessly switch between vehicle types to tackle different terrain and racing challenges across the island.

The Crew Motorfest introduces “playlists,” curated series of events that focus on specific racing cultures, vehicle types or themed challenges. This structure provides both direction for players seeking guidance and freedom for those who prefer to explore at their own pace.

With a dynamic weather system and day-night cycle, the open-world racing festival creates a living environment that affects racing conditions and showcases the game’s impressive visual fidelity on current generation consoles and PC.

NBA 2K24: Basketball Excellence

2K Sports released the latest iteration of their premier basketball simulation on 8th September 2023. NBA 2K24 honours the legacy of Kobe Bryant while introducing refined gameplay mechanics and expanded game modes to deliver the most authentic basketball experience available.

The game’s “ProPLAY” technology translates real NBA footage directly into gameplay animations, creating unprecedented realism in player movements and interactions. Premier basketball simulation enthusiasts can appreciate the attention to detail in everything from dribble moves to shooting forms.

MyCAREER mode returns with an expanded narrative experience, allowing players to chart their journey from rookie to NBA legend. Meanwhile, the premier basketball simulation’s MyTEAM mode continues to evolve with new challenges and collection opportunities.

For basketball fans, NBA 2K24 provides both a realistic simulation of the current NBA and nostalgic elements celebrating the sport’s history and iconic players who have shaped the game. It’s therefore no wonder that it ranks highly on the list of popular September 2023 games.

Starship Troopers: Extermination: Bug Hunt

Offworld Industries’ co-op FPS entered Early Access on 13th September, bringing the iconic sci-fi franchise to life as a 16-player cooperative shooter. Starship Troopers: Extermination faithfully captures the desperate intensity of humanity’s war against the Arachnid threat.

Players choose between different trooper classes with unique abilities and weapons, working together to complete objectives while defending against waves of insectoid enemies. Offworld Industries’ co-op FPS emphasises teamwork and resource management, as players must establish and maintain bases in hostile territory.

The game recreates the retro-futuristic aesthetic of Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 film, combining it with modern gaming technology to create massive bug hordes that test players’ coordination and combat skills. The visceral combat and overwhelming odds create genuinely tense gaming moments.

While still in Early Access, Offworld Industries’ co-op FPS demonstrates significant potential as a multiplayer experience that balances faithful adaptation of its source material with engaging gameplay mechanics.

Solar Ash: Fluid Traversal

Heart Machine’s stylish action-adventure platformer arrived on Xbox platforms on 14th September 2023 after previous releases on PlayStation and PC. Solar Ash places players in a surreal, colourful world where fluid movement and momentum-based traversal are central to both exploration and combat.

The game combines skating-like movement with timed combat encounters, creating a rhythm to gameplay that feels both challenging and rewarding. Stylish action-adventure platformer players will find themselves gliding through vibrant clouds, across shattered landscapes and along the bodies of massive creatures.

Solar Ash tells its story through both direct narrative and environmental storytelling, creating a mysterious world that players piece together as they progress. The game’s unique visual style uses bold colours and stark contrasts to create memorable landscapes.

With its emphasis on movement rather than combat, Heart Machine’s stylish action-adventure platformer offers a refreshing alternative to more combat-heavy action titles, focusing instead on the joy of traversal and exploration.

The Wandering Village: City Builder with a Twist

Stray Fawn Studio’s unique city-building simulation left Early Access on 14th September, presenting players with the challenge of building and maintaining a settlement on the back of a giant, wandering creature called Onbu.

The game combines traditional city-building elements with a symbiotic relationship mechanic, as players must balance their community’s needs with the health and happiness of their living foundation. Unique city-building simulation decisions can either nurture or exploit Onbu, leading to different gameplay outcomes.

The Wandering Village features a distinctive hand-drawn aesthetic that brings its unusual premise to life, creating a world that feels both fantastical and coherent. The changing environments as Onbu travels through different biomes present evolving challenges for players to overcome.

For fans of management games seeking something beyond traditional settings, Stray Fawn Studio’s unique city-building simulation offers a fresh take on the genre with its blend of resource management and relationship dynamics, making it one of the most popular September 2023 games.

The First Descendant: Sci-Fi Looter Shooter

Nexon’s free-to-play co-op looter shooter held an open beta from 22nd September to 2nd October, giving players a taste of its Unreal Engine 5-powered action. The First Descendant combines third-person shooting with RPG elements in a sci-fi setting where humanity fights for survival.

The game features diverse characters known as Descendants, each with unique abilities and playstyles that support different tactical approaches. Free-to-play co-op looter shooter players can customise their experience through both character selection and extensive weapon modification systems.

The First Descendant showcases impressive visual fidelity through Unreal Engine 5, creating detailed environments and dynamic combat effects that enhance the futuristic setting. The game’s boss encounters require coordination and strategic application of character abilities.

Though only available as a beta in September, Nexon’s free-to-play co-op looter shooter generated significant interest as an accessible entry in the growing looter shooter genre, positioned to compete with established titles.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – The Defining Expansion

While technically an expansion rather than a standalone game, CD Projekt Red’s massive DLC for Cyberpunk 2077 released on 26th September 2023 deserves mention for its significance. Phantom Liberty not only adds a substantial new spy-thriller narrative but arrived alongside the comprehensive 2.0 update that transformed the base game.

The expansion introduces a new district, Dogtown, a lawless zone within Night City with its own visual identity and faction dynamics. CD Projekt Red’s massive DLC features Hollywood star Idris Elba as Solomon Reed, a seasoned FIA agent who becomes entangled in a high-stakes political thriller alongside the player character.

Phantom Liberty coincided with the free 2.0 update that overhauls core systems including perks, cyberware, combat and police AI, effectively delivering a new version of Cyberpunk 2077 three years after its controversial launch. These comprehensive changes have been widely praised for addressing many of the original criticisms.

For players who enjoyed the base game or those who waited for the title to reach its full potential, CD Projekt Red’s massive DLC represents the definitive Cyberpunk 2077 experience, combining narrative expansion with fundamental gameplay improvements.

EA Sports FC 24: A New Era Begins

The successor to the FIFA series launched on 29th September 2023, marking Electronic Arts’ first football game without the FIFA license in nearly three decades. EA Sports FC 24 continues the gameplay legacy while establishing a new brand identity for the long-running franchise.

The game introduces HyperMotionV technology, capturing data from real matches to create more authentic player movements and interactions on the pitch. Successor to the FIFA series players benefit from improved physics and AI that make each match feel more like a broadcast of the beautiful game.

Ultimate Team remains a central mode, now featuring both men’s and women’s footballers in the same teams for the first time. Meanwhile, Career Mode receives meaningful updates including the ability to hire tactical coaches who influence your team’s playing style.

While the name on the box has changed, EA Sports FC 24 maintains the comprehensive licensing for clubs and leagues that players expect, ensuring the successor to the FIFA series continues to provide an authentic football experience.

Infinity Nikki: Fashion and Adventure

Released on 13th September 2023, Papergames’ open-world dress-up adventure blends fashion gameplay with exploration in a vibrant fantasy setting. Infinity Nikki combines collecting and customising outfits with platforming, puzzle-solving and narrative elements.

The game features a vast wardrobe of clothing items with practical gameplay applications beyond aesthetics, as different outfits grant abilities that help players traverse environments and overcome challenges. Papergames’ open-world dress-up adventure transforms fashion choices into meaningful gameplay decisions.

Infinity Nikki presents a visually striking world with diverse biomes and hidden secrets, encouraging exploration through both narrative progression and costume-based incentives. The game’s story unfolds across different realms, each with unique visual themes and clothing styles.

For players seeking a gaming experience outside conventional genres, Papergames’ open-world dress-up adventure offers a refreshing combination of fashion creativity and adventure gameplay in a package that appeals to a broad audience.

Popular September 2023 Games: A Month to Remember

September 2023 truly delivered an exceptional month for video game enthusiasts across all platforms. From Bethesda’s ambitious space epic to NetherRealm’s fighting game reinvention, the month offered diverse experiences that showcased the industry’s creativity and technical prowess.

The latest video game releases demonstrated the medium’s ability to tell compelling stories, create engaging gameplay loops, and bring players together in shared experiences. Whether you prefer single-player narratives or multiplayer competitions, September 2023 had something special to offer.

As we look back on this remarkable month of new game releases, it’s clear that despite being late in the console generation cycle, developers continue to push boundaries and deliver innovative experiences. These titles will likely be remembered as some of the defining games of 2023.

For gamers who missed any of these must-play September video games, there’s never been a better time to catch up on what was undoubtedly one of the strongest release months in recent memory. These titles represent the incredible breadth and quality that make video gaming such a compelling form of entertainment.

Which of these popular September 2023 games captured your attention? Have you had the chance to experience the best September video game releases firsthand? Share your thoughts and experiences with these remarkable titles in the comments below!